---

27 Feb 2003 : Column 646W—continued

Air Quality

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to establish a national standard for local authority low emission zones restricting the entry of highly polluting vehicles into air quality management areas; and if he will make a statement. [98699]

27 Feb 2003 : Column 647W

Mr. Jamieson: The latest guidance issued by DEFRA to support local authorities with their air quality management duties under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 includes recommendations made by the National Society for Clean Air's Cleaner Transport Forum on proposed standards in low emission zones.

Air Transport (EU Regulations)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what representations he has received concerning the European Commission's Air Transport Draft Regulation COM (2002) 521; and if he will make a statement; [100035]

(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of Draft Regulation COM (2002) 521; and what the Government's policy is on the draft regulation. [100036]

Mr. Jamieson: On 21 October 2002 the Minister for Transport submitted an Explanatory Memorandum on the draft Regulation to both Houses of Parliament. On 11 December 2002 the Minister submitted a Supplementary Explanatory Memorandum to Parliament including a partial regulatory impact assessment assessing the likely effect of the proposal as drafted. The assessment listed eight organisations that, in response to a request by officials, made representations to the Department. They are: the British Air Transport Association, the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, the General Aviation Manufacturers and Traders Association, the British Helicopter Advisory Board, the Royal Aero Club of the UK, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the International Union of Aviation Insurers and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Whilst the Government supports measures to harmonise insurance requirements across the European Community, it has expressed concern that the introduction of mandatory requirements for non-commercial aircraft operators would impose unwarranted costs on that sector of civil aviation. We have also questioned the legality and practicality of the provisions in proposal to overflying aircraft.

Air Travel (Demand)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his policy to allow anticipated increased demand for air travel to be met. [99201]

Mr. Jamieson: This is one of the central questions to which we are seeking responses in our current consultation on the future development of air transport in the United Kingdom. We will set out our policy conclusions in the air transport White Paper later this year.

Congestion Charge

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in cases where regional strategic guidance includes congestion taxes for a particular town or city, what requirement will be placed on the Council in that place to introduce a congestion charge. [93604]

27 Feb 2003 : Column 648W

Mr. Spellar: Decisions on whether to introduce such measures and the form they take, are a matter for individual local authorities.

Driver Fatigue

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to raise awareness among drivers of the dangers of fatigue with (a) the general public, (b) operators of motor fleets and (c) companies using commercial vehicles and employing travelling salespersons. [99635]

Mr. Jamieson: The Department raises awareness of the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel among all drivers by means of national publicity campaigns and advertising. Local authority road safety officers support our campaigns and provide relevant publicity materials to employers within their areas.

Full details of the Department's driver tiredness campaigns were given in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Bath (Don Foster) on 9 December 2002 [Official Report, column 31W].

We will be running new radio commercials this Easter. Motorway variable message signs will again carry the "Don't Drive Tired" slogan again. We will also be using lorry back advertising for the first time to remind drivers to take a break. A new public information film will be produced in the spring.

Oil Pollution

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure that local authorities have up to date oil spill contingency plans in line with the National Contingency Plan following the second report of the Public Accounts Committee. [98698]

Mr. Jamieson: The responsibility for responding to pollution at sea lies with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and certain ports and harbours, as laid out in the Merchant Shipping Regulations 1998. However, local authorities will respond to shoreline pollution and have detailed contingency plans to address potential incidents.

The MCA provides two accredited training courses for local authority emergency planners and operational staff. 'Oil pollution, Contingency Planning and Response' is a five-day course for local authority management staff, run four times a year across the UK. 'Oil Pollution Response', run eight times a year, is a two day hands-on training course in counter pollution for local authority staff, who would expect to be involved supervising beach clean-up operations and protective booming operations.

The MCA actively encourages local authorities to maintain and update their oil spill contingency plans. The MCA maintains a database of all local authority oil spill plans, and monitors the updating procedures of individual authorities. In addition, local authorities are encouraged to submit their plans for formal review by the MCA's Counter Pollution and Response Branch.

27 Feb 2003 : Column 649W

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the humanitarian consequences of war against Iraq, with special reference to medical aid. [98733]

Clare Short: The people of Iraq are already suffering a humanitarian catastrophe. 60 per cent. of the people in this naturally wealthy and highly educated country are dependent on handouts from the Oil for Food Programme and one-third of children in Baghdad-controlled Iraq are chronically malnourished.

If the UN authorises military action to force Saddam Hussein to comply with his disarmament obligation, it is essential that great care is taken to minimise any harm to the people who are already very vulnerable. This means very careful targeting of military action, ensuring order is maintained, food distribution is quickly resumed and that health and water and sanitation infrastructure is rehabilitated as soon as possible.

Planning is in hand for all of this. My greatest worry is that there is not yet agreement that the UN should have the lead role in a post conflict Iraq. Without this there would be significant legal and other difficulties for the international humanitarian system to work.

SCOTLAND

Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much producing her Department's latest Annual Report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [90889]

Mrs. Liddell: The cost to the Scotland Office of producing the 2002 Departmental Report was £3,869. The number of copies printed for the department was 150. Copies of the report were provided free of charge to the Scottish Affairs Committee, other Government Departments and for use within the Department.

The Stationery Office determines the number of copies for retail sale and meets the costs of printing and publication. I understand that TSO has sold approximately 300 copies of the report.

Departmental Consultations

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list consultations her Department has conducted since 1997; and when each consultation (a) opened and (b) closed. [97432]

Mrs. Liddell: The information requested is as follows:

a consultation on the size of the Scottish Parliament was launched on 18 December 2001 with responses invited by 29 March 2002.

27 Feb 2003 : Column 650W

a consultation on Sunday working in Scotland was launched on 19 December 2002 with a deadline for comments by 14 March 2003.

Online Sales/Purchases

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what (a) products, (b) goods and (c) services were (i) bought and (ii) sold online by her Department in each of the last five years. [97455]

Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since that date, no products, goods or services have been bought or sold on-line by the department.

Sickness Absence

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002. [90545]

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many working days were lost due to illness in her Department in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years. [90743]

Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.

Details of working days lost due to illness in my department are given in the table below.

Dates	Working days lost due to illness
1 January 2002–30 November 2002	651.0
1 January 2001–31 December 2001	746.5
1 January 2000–31 December 2000	442.5
1 July 1999–31 December 1999	299.0

---